Caution: Imaginations at Work

Today the large cardboard box was not a box, but a fire station, and then a three dimensional canvas inviting artistic expression.  It was fun to see how Joseph and Ethan worked at climbing the large wooden platform outside of the fire station and hoisting themselves onto the other platform we placed inside.  At different points over the course of the morning, Joseph and Harrison individually maneuvered the very large box around on the floor in order to better suit their play.  Muscles and imaginations worked together to add to the enjoyment of the children's explorations.

Abby and Eva are working their arms as they paint on the walls - positioning their fingers in the pincer grasp as they strengthen the muscles in the shoulder girdle.

To fill a Grogger

The sensory table contained three bowls, a few spoons with very short handles, and a funnel.  It was time to put something into the bottles we decorated on Tuesday.  The kids spooned colored rice, black eyed peas, and red kidney beans into the funnel and watched them pile up in the bottom of their groggers.  Next, they tested out the sound and decided when they had enough things to make a satifsying sound when shaken.  

The short handles on the spoons make it impossible to use the palmar grip, so the children must use the pincer grasp to hold the spoon.  This grasp is the basis of the pencil grip which the children will develop over time.  We're always working muscles to help develop coordination and strength.  There was also a challenge in keeping the rice in the spoon all the way from the bowl at the bottom of the bowl to the top of the funnel.  

At circle time, the Purim puppets told the story of Haman (boo!!!!!) and of the brave Queen Esther.  We practiced shaking the groggers when we heard Haman's name - and stopping together in order to hear more of the story.  We plan to share the story of Purim again and again in the next few weeks.  

Something Green is Growing

The Keshet children are learning that Tu B'Shevat, which we will celebrate on Thursday, is the birthday of the trees, and a time to celebrate things that grow. In our classroom we are "growing" a large tree; everyone is working hard to squeeze the glue bottles so that we can attach the leaves to the canopy. In this activity we notice growth in hand strength and in concentration.We are making the leaves from all kinds of paper, tearing and shaping them as we go along. Tearing paper is another activity that strengthens hands and supports future mastery of scissors and writing implements. We can't wait to display our tree on the classroom wall!

Pincer grasp

In the sensory table, the children enjoy filling small bottles using the very short handled spoons provided.  It is not possible to use the palmar grasp to hold the spoon when the handle is so short, so you will see that the children are using the pincer grasp.  This is a step along the path to writing.  The muscles in the hand are strengthened as the kids play at scooping the grains of rice.

Is it Chanukah fun or Muscle Building?

 Yes, it's both.  We used craft sticks and white glue to make a menorah as we begin to prepare for Chanukah.  The process of applying glue from the squeeze bottle requires eye hand coordination to place the glue on the stick, muscle strength in the fingers and hands to grip and squeeze the bottle.  This offers the Keshet kids an opportunity for fun AND the development of pre-writing skills.

Using Crayons to Draw

On Wednesday evening at Curriculum Night, our guest speaker Shana Krell, Occupational Therapist, strongly recommended that young children use crayons rather than markers when drawing and writing. Children use more pressure with crayons strengthening their developing hands thus getting them ready to use other writing implements with a proper grip. The Levana children decorated their Challah bags using brand new crayons.